Nathan Barley - Episode Five

[23 Daves]

Momus' writings on Barley are fantastically pretentious.

They're hilariously defensive, I think.  He does have a little bit of Jonatton Yeah? about him if you push your imagination a bit, as well.

Momus is one of those people who periodically has inspired ideas which hit the nail on the head where everyone else has failed - he did a fantastic (and very balanced) blog entry when John Peel died - or else he's a very silly controversy-hunting tosser.  I'm particularly thinking of when he aligned himself closely to an artist/ magazine publisher who was ironically part of the "White Power" movement, and used to walk around screaming "WHITE POWER!" at the top of his voice.  Now that is very Nathan Barley.

[TotalMink]

Vice is supposed to be free but they seem to charge for it in Germany and in Holland in places.  They seem to have become a bit of a commercial empire in the last couple of years though. Their magazine and site is completely free but it acts as a bit of a promotional tool for Vice Records, Books, Store etc.  Its a bit of a hit or a miss for me to be honest.

Some issues make me really laugh and think.  The Vice Guide to Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll was quite a good read.  The Do's and Dont's (apparently their most popular feature) seem to be totally Nathan Barley (but way funnier).  The Sex Issue reminded me totally of Sugarape however some of the articles in other issues are outstanding and intellegent.  I thought the mental health one was quite sincere as many of the articles are well written and sensitive but you just cant help thinking its Barley posturing (In other issues they have talked about retard porn etc)

I guess on the whole, I like Vice Magazine, but hate parts of it, sometimes I dont know why I am reading it and I know I hate what it stands for.  Yet, I await most issues, read them cover to cover and always go back there  - a bit like NB!!

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

It appears, looking at the TV guides this week, that there is a preview tape of Show 6 doing the rounds. Which, unless Morris is attending to do his usual tape-switching amusement, suggests there isn't anything shocking or extraordinary in the final episode. Shame - I did have a glimmer of hope that Show 6 would be totally different and turn everything on its head.

[RHX]

It appears, looking at the TV guides this week, that there is a preview tape of Show 6 doing the rounds.

Which TV guides? I've seen 3 (can't remember which now) which all either same the same as the synopsis that was posted before, or don't even mention what happens. Maybe I should get better TV guides instead of free ones with the paper.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Well, the Time Out review just mentions Nathan gatecrashing Claire's film pitch, and Dan getting his revenge. Other reviews I've read don't give details but are written with an 'I've seen a tape' tone (which may be bluffing on their part).

Can anyone confirm that tapes of Show 6 were sent out?

[Neil]

Yeah Lauren mentioned getting one.

I just remembered the only vaguely amusing bit of episode 5!  The quick shot of Toby line-dancing in the club.

[R. Sparts]

Well, the Time Out review just mentions Nathan gatecrashing Claire's film pitch, and Dan getting his revenge.

Nathan causing Pingu to fall out of the window?

[Steven]

Can I just  sayafter re-watching this episode, in homage to equilibrium, one really good thing about it and one really bad thing about it.

GOOD

Nathan procuring the blow-job to the tune of Bad Uncle, at which point he starts dancing like a bad drunk uncle at a wedding.

BAD

The set-up of the Jonatton Yeah? interview where he comes up with the humourous premise of stating the girls are advertised 6 years below their real age and then asked to justify this, and is then talked over loudly by Nathan Barley, in order it seems to mask that Brooker and Morris couldn't actually think of any funny way of justifying it. Which was surely the point of the programme? Cowardly.

[passes_through_walls]

I've been assuming sugarape was based on vice, with its cake-and-eat-it-too attitude to "parody".
However, the problem with this- as with the show in general- is that proceedings have long since entered the realm of total comic fantasy, completely undermining any attempts at satire.